Pay vs Place

Leeds vs Salford: buying or renting a home

A typical terraced house costs £17,500 (9%) more in Salford than in Leeds. Measured against local pay, buying is harder in Salford: it takes 6.3× median annual pay, against 5.5× in Leeds.

Leeds, terraced
£202,500
Income typically needed: £40,500
Median full-time pay: £36,716
Salford, terraced
£220,000
Income typically needed: £44,000
Median full-time pay: £34,958

At a glance

Leeds Salford
Buying a home Fairly affordable Fairly affordable
Renting a home Expensive Very expensive
Recorded crime Above average Above average

Buying rates the typical price of all homes against median pay; renting rates a year of average rent against median pay; crime rates recorded crime per resident against the England and Wales average.

What the numbers say

Median full-time pay in Salford (£34,958) is 5% lower than in Leeds (£36,716), while a typical terraced house costs 9% more (£220,000 against £202,500). Set against local pay, Leeds is the easier of the two for a typical earner to buy in.

Buying a terraced house takes 5.5× annual pay in Leeds and 6.3× in Salford. Renting one takes 38% of pay in Leeds and 40% in Salford. Both are harder in Salford, and the gap is wider for buying.

Across all property types and measured against pay, Leeds is the 114th least expensive of 316 areas to buy in, and Salford is the 109th least expensive of 316 areas. For renting against pay, Leeds is the 106th most expensive of 316 areas and Salford is the 84th most expensive of 316 areas.

Someone on £40,000 in Leeds would need about £43,500 in Salford to be equally placed to buy a terraced house, and about £40,500 to be equally placed to rent one. Keeping the same pay after a move to Salford would leave you worse placed to buy. These figures compare housing costs only; they ignore other living costs and the pay you could earn in a new job.

Police recorded 114.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in Leeds and 105.8 in Salford, so recorded crime per resident is 8% lower in Salford. The biggest difference is in residential burglary: 13.0 per 1,000 in Leeds against 7.8 in Salford.

Can a typical earner buy?

Terraced house Leeds Salford
Median full-time pay £36,716 £34,958
House price ÷ pay 5.5× 6.3×
Median pay as a share of income typically needed to buy 91% 79%
Rent a year as a share of median pay 38% 40%

Buying, by property type

Type Leeds Salford Difference
Detached £430,000 £392,500 -9% in Salford
Semi-detached £262,000 £270,000 +3% in Salford
Terraced £202,500 £220,000 +9% in Salford
Flat £150,000 £160,000 +7% in Salford

Renting, by property type

Type (average rent a month) Leeds Salford Difference
Detached £1,507 £1,533 +2% in Salford
Semi-detached £1,226 £1,315 +7% in Salford
Terraced £1,157 £1,170 +1% in Salford
Flat £905 £1,020 +13% in Salford

Crime

Police recorded 114.6 crimes per 1,000 residents in Leeds and 105.8 in Salford, so recorded crime per resident is 8% lower in Salford.

Police recorded crime per 1,000 residents Leeds Salford Difference
All recorded crime (excluding fraud) 114.6 105.8 -8% in Salford
Violence against the person 44.9 42.0 -7% in Salford
Sexual offences 4.4 4.3 -2% in Salford
Robbery 2.2 1.4 -34% in Salford
Residential burglary (per 1,000 households) 13.0 7.8 -40% in Salford
Vehicle offences 7.0 5.4 -23% in Salford
Theft from the person 1.3 0.7 -47% in Salford
Criminal damage and arson 8.5 10.2 +20% in Salford

Rates use resident population, so city centres and student areas show higher crime per resident than residents experience. Recorded crime also depends on reporting and police recording practice.

How prices have changed in each area

Average house price for all property types, indexed so that 2005 is 100. A line at 200 means prices have doubled.

Leeds: 181Salford: 220
House prices in Leeds and Salford since 2005, indexed so that 2005 is 100Prices indexed to 2005 = 100. Leeds now 181, Salford now 220.5010015020025020052010201520202025House prices in Leeds and Salford since 2005, indexed so that 2005 is 100Prices indexed to 2005 = 100. Leeds now 181, Salford now 220.5010015020025020102020
Show the figures
YearLeedsSalford
2005100100
2006107106
2007114116
2008110110
20099899
201010398
201110196
20129995
201310096
2014106102
2015111110
2016119122
2017125134
2018130141
2019134145
2020139152
2021151183
2022165204
2023168202
2024171208
2025177222
12 months to July 2026181220

In 2005 the average home cost £135,425 in Leeds and £104,379 in Salford. Now it is £244,464 and £229,776: Leeds is up 81% and Salford is up 120%. Prices have risen faster in Salford, so the gap between the two has narrowed.

Buying a home against local pay, over time

Average house price divided by median full-time pay. Higher means harder to afford.

Leeds: 6.5 years of paySalford: 6.6 years of pay
Years of median pay needed to buy the average home in Leeds and SalfordLeeds now 6.5, Salford now 6.6 years of pay.0×2×4×6×8×20052010201520202025Years of median pay needed to buy the average home in Leeds and SalfordLeeds now 6.5, Salford now 6.6 years of pay.0×2×4×6×8×20052010201520202025
Show the figures
YearLeedsSalford
20056.1 years of pay5.0 years of pay
20105.7 years of pay4.4 years of pay
20155.7 years of pay4.7 years of pay
20206.2 years of pay5.4 years of pay
20256.5 years of pay6.6 years of pay

In 2005 a home cost 6.1 years of pay in Leeds and 5.0 years in Salford. In 2025 it was 6.5 years and 6.6 years.

Affordability has worsened more in Salford over that time.

How rents have changed in each area

Average monthly rent for all property types, indexed so that 2015 is 100.

Leeds: 151Salford: 182
Rents in Leeds and Salford since 2015, indexed so that 2015 is 100Rents indexed to 2015 = 100. Leeds now 151, Salford now 182.75100125150175200201620182020202220242026Rents in Leeds and Salford since 2015, indexed so that 2015 is 100Rents indexed to 2015 = 100. Leeds now 151, Salford now 182.75100125150175200201520202025
Show the figures
YearLeedsSalford
2015100100
201698101
2017102106
2018104116
2019107119
2020112122
2021114124
2022125132
2023136146
2024145163
2025146175
August 2026151182

In 2015 the average rent was £758 a month in Leeds and £643 in Salford. Now it is £1,145 and £1,170: up 51% in Leeds and up 82% in Salford. Rents have risen faster in Salford.

What your salary is worth in each area

Salary needed to afford the same kind of home (terraced), going by median prices and average rents.

Moving from Leeds to Salford

Earning in Leeds Equivalent to buy in Salford Equivalent to rent in Salford
£30,000 £32,500 £30,500
£40,000 £43,500 £40,500
£50,000 £54,500 £50,500
£60,000 £65,000 £60,500

Moving from Salford to Leeds

Earning in Salford Equivalent to buy in Leeds Equivalent to rent in Leeds
£30,000 £27,500 £29,500
£40,000 £37,000 £39,500
£50,000 £46,000 £49,500
£60,000 £55,000 £59,500
Prices are medians for each property type over the last 12 months of registered sales; types with fewer than 100 sales in either area are left out. Rents are ONS averages for the area. Pay is the median for full-time employees living in the area, before tax. Income needed is illustrative: it assumes a 10% deposit and a lender willing to lend 4.5 times income. Real lending depends on your circumstances. Salary equivalents compare housing costs only, not other living costs, tax or the pay you could earn in a new job.

All Leeds figures · All Salford figures